History Characters / Transformers

->''Starscream is an idiot and Swindle is a phony\\
Grimlock's gonna squash them to beryllium baloney''
-->--'''Music/MiracleOfSound''', ''Roll Out''

* CombiningMecha: They sometimes possess the capability to combine into Volcanicus, an animalistic Autobot Combiner who strikes fear into the Decepticons.

* {{Foil}}: To [[UndyingLoyalty Soundwave]]. In many stories and adaptations, Starscream essentially serves as an inverted mirror to Soundwave's character. Whereas Soundwave is a devoted loyalist, Starscream is treacherously ambitious. Whereas Soundwave is brave, Starscream is cowardly. Whereas Soundwave is dangerously competent, Starscream is hilariously incompetent. Megatron recognizes this, and often praises Soundwave and his minions as many times as he insults Starscream. And if Megatron is taken out of commission, expect Soundwave to be the one standing in Starscream's way to become leader of the Decepticons.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: In the original G1 cartoon, he wasn't much of a threat at all and in battle was even less effective than Starscream, regularly getting overwhelmed by the Autobots in small numbers.[[note]]This is a consequence of him controlling the space bridge to Cybertron; any time a plot required the Autobots to go to Cybertron, it meant they'd have to fight their way past Shockwave, which didn't take long.[[/note]] As later adaptations emphasized him as one of Megatron's top generals, his power levels increased dramatically to make him a much more serious threat. Conversely, the Marvel G1 comics had Shockwave as a badass from day 1, nearly wiping out the Autobots single-handed (they were badly weakened at the time) and usurping control of the Decepticons for a time.

* ''Characters/EnergonUniverse''

* OddNameOut: All of their names (Slag/Slug, Sludge, Snarl, Swoop, Slash, Skar/Scarr, Scorn, Strafe) are one syllable each and start with the letter "S", save for the leader Grimlock.

* ThemeNaming: Aside from leader Grimlock, the Dinobots have short, one-word names that start with "S". The core four are Slag/Slug, Snarl, Sludge, and Swoop, and auxiliary members include Slash[[note]]''Velociraptor''[[/note]], Scorn[[note]]''Spinosaurus''[[/note]], Strafe[[note]]Two-headed ''Pteranodon''[[/note]], and Skar/Scarr[[note]]''Ankylosaurus''[[/note]]. Even the one time Dinobots were [[WesternAnimation/TransformersRobotsInDisguise2015 depicted as an entire sub-species of Cybertronians]], the few shown followed this convention (Steelwall[[note]]The show's very own Grimlock who renamed himself[[/note]], Scowl[[note]]''Ankylosaurus''[[/note]]). The lone exceptions are Paddles[[note]]''Plesiosaurus''[[/note]], a ''very'' obscure G1 character from an anthology book, and Grimmaster[[note]]''Styracosaurus''[[/note]], another obscure character from the Japanese G1 continuity better known as the once-Decepticon Kakuryu of the Dinoforce.

** [[Characters/BeastWarsExpandedUniverse Characters from the Expanded Universe]][[note]]Includes characters from the two Japanese animes.[[/note]]

* {{Foil}}: To [[UndyingLoyalty Soundwave]]. In many stories and adaptations, Soundwave essentially serves as inverted mirror to Starscream's character. Whereas Starscream is treacherously ambitious, Soundwave is a devoted loyalist. Whereas Starscream is cowardly, Soundwave is brave. Whereas Starscream is hilariously incompetent, Soundwave brings in serious results. Megatron recognizes this, and often praises Soundwave and his minions as many times as he insults Starscream. And if Megatron is taken out of commission, expect Soundwave to be the one standing in Starscream's way to become leader of the Decepticons.

* PaletteSwap: Given how he is the Autobots' answer to Soundwave, Blaster's toys are often redecoed from Soundwave or vice versa.

* {{Foil}}: To [[TheStarscream Starscream]]. In many stories and adaptations, Soundwave essentially serves as inverted mirror to Starscream's character. Whereas Starscream is treacherously ambitious, Soundwave is a devoted loyalist. Whereas Starscream is cowardly, Soundwave is brave. Whereas Starscream is hilariously incompetent, Soundwave brings in serious results. Megatron recognizes this, and often praises Soundwave and his minions as many times as he insults Starscream. And if Megatron is taken out of commission, expect Soundwave to be the one standing in Starscream's way to become leader of the Decepticons.

* ThemeNaming: Aside from leader Grimlock, the Dinobots have short, one-word names that start with "S". The core four are Slag/Slug, Snarl, Sludge, and Swoop, and auxiliary members include Slash[[note]]''Velociraptor''[[/note]], Scorn[[note]]''Spinosaurus''[[/note]], Strafe[[note]]Two-headed ''Pteranodon''[[/note]], and Skar/Scarr[[note]]''Ankylosaurus''[/note]]. Even the one time Dinobots were [[WesternAnimation/TransformersRobotsInDisguise2015 depicted as an entire sub-species of Cybertronians]], the few shown followed this convention (Steelwall[[note]]The show's very own Grimlock who renamed himself[[/note]], Scowl[[note]]''Ankylosaurus''[[/note]]). The lone exceptions are Paddles[[note]]''Plesiosaurus''[[/note]], a ''very'' obscure G1 character from an anthology book, and Grimmaster[[note]]''Styracosaurus''[[/note]], another obscure character from the Japanese G1 continuity better known as the once-Decepticon Kakuryu of the Dinoforce.

* {{Samurai}}: His manners, color scheme and fighting style is highly reminiscent of a samurai, thanks to training with the Circle of Light. His film incarnation takes this UpToEleven by making his robot mode that of a giant robotic samurai.

* DistaffCounterpart: Being a courageous, kind-hearted Autobot in a position of authority, she's essentially a female equivalent to Optimus Prime. Some iterations move away from this aspect (the [[ComicBook/TheTransformersIDW first]] IDW continuity portrayed her as a villanous schemer and the TokenEvilTeammate among the Council of Worlds and the [[ComicBook/Transformers2019 second]] IDW continuity had her start out with the proto-Decepticon Ascenticon movement, while other incarnations are just standard Autobot warriors).

-->''"[[Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon In '''my''' day, the '''good''' knew their responsibility...and the '''weak''' knew their place.]]"''

-->''"[[Film/TransformersRiseOfTheBeasts But remember, we belong to [Unicron].]]"''

* OutOfFocus: He was made as part of a trio with Galvatron and Cyclonus, but he tends to get less attention in media than both of them.

-->''"[[Film/TransformersAgeOfExtinction Autobots, Decepticons, like little children. Always fighting, making a mess out of the universe. Then '''I've''' got to clean it up.]]"''

* DependingOnTheWriter: The exact roster of the Wreckers frequently varies across continuity

* FemBot: One of the latest, being a female Cybertronian.

Sam "Spike" Witwicky is often the main human ally of the Autobots on Earth. He's usually depicted as a young teenage boy.

* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Maybe; the various adaptations aren't clear on when his given name is Sam and he's known by the nickname Spike, or when Spike is his given name.

* TheLancer: As Optimus' lieutenant, Jazz is second-in-command of the Autobots, and his laid-back and cool demeanor sharply constrasts Optimus' stern professionalism.

* GoodIsNotSoft: Ironhide sometimes looks down on humans and is somwehat of a BloodKnight, but he's still firmly heroic.

* ColorCodedCharacters: To tell the Seekers apart from each other since they tend to share the same body type and alt mode, they all have different colorations: Starscream is red, Thundercracker is blue, Skywarp is purple and black, Sunstorm is orange and yellow, Slipstream is purple and blue, Acid Storm is neon green, Ion Storm is neon blue, and Nova Storm is neon yellow. The Coneheads, having more visual differences to their designs (such as each having a different type of wing), don't need just the color-coding to tell them apart, but Thrust is usually red (though sometimes green), Dirge is blue, and Ramjet is white.

* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Slipstream is usually the only girl among the Seekers. Recent installments have sought to rectify this by either introducing new female Seekers or GenderFlipping existing ones. Both ''Cyberverse'' and ''[=EarthSpark=]'' have portrayed Skywarp as female.

* ThemeNaming: Aside from leader Grimlock, the Dinobots have short, one-word names that start with "S". The core four are Slag/Slug, Snarl, Sludge, and Swoop, and auxiliary members include Slash[[note]]''Velociraptor''[[/note]], Scorn[[note]]''Spinosaurus''[[/note]], Strafe[[note]]Two-headed ''Pteranodon''[[/note]], and Skar/Scarr[[note]]''Ankylosaurus''[/note]]. Even the one time Dinobots were [[WesternAnimation/TransformersRobotsInDisguise2015 depicted as an entire sub-species of Cybertronians]], the few shown followed this convention (Steelwall[[note]]The show's very own Grimlock who renamed himself[[/note]], Scowl[[note]]''Ankylosaurus''[/note]]). The lone exceptions are Paddles[[note]]''Plesiosaurus''[/note]], a ''very'' obscure G1 character from an anthology book, and Grimmaster[[note]]''Styracosaurus''[/note]], another obscure character from the Japanese G1 continuity better known as the once-Decepticon Kakuryu of the Dinoforce.

* PintSizedPowerHouse: He is usually smaller than most other Transformers, but no less powerful or brave, and can fight bots much larger than him and win.

* BloodKnight: There's nothing Ironhide likes more than busting up Decepticons.

* GoodIsNotSoft: Ironhide sometimes looks down on humans and is one of the most enthusiastic of all the Autobots when it comes to getting into a fight. But he's still firmly heroic.

* ThemeNaming: Aside from leader Grimlock, the Dinobots have short, one-word names that start with "S". The core four are Slag/Slug, Snarl, Sludge, and Swoop, and auxiliary members include Slash[[note]]Velociraptor[[/note]], Scorn[[note]]Spinosaurus[[/note]], Strafe[[note]]Two-headed pterosaur[[/note]], and Skar/Scarr[[note]]Ankylosaurus[[/note]]. Even the one time Dinobots were [[WesternAnimation/TransformersRobotsInDisguise2015 depicted as an entire sub-species of Cybertronians]], the few shown followed this convention (Steelwall[[note]]The show's very own Grimlock who renamed himself[[/note]], Scowl). The lone exceptions are Paddles, a ''very'' obscure G1 character from an anthology book, and Grimmaster, another obscure character from the Japanese G1 continuity better known as the once-Decepticon Kakuryu of the Dinoforce.

-->''"To live is to fight; to die is to stop"''

* PrimaryColorChampion: Like Optimus, Magnus's signature color scheme is predominantly red and blue, albeit being a lighter shade of the latter when compared to Optimus.

-->''"The road to conquest is paved with Autobot wrecks."''

[[folder:Cyclonus]]
-->''"[[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers Come out and die like a warrior! How dare you disgrace your ancestors by cowering like a pocket computer!]]"''

Cyclonus is a high-ranking Decepticon, usually being the right hand to the current Decepticon leader. His alt mode is usually some sort of spacecraft, though he sometimes turns into a helicopter.

* PurpleIsPowerful: His signature colors scheme is predominantly purple.

* ArchEnemy: To Ratchet. His original incarnation revealed him to be a rogue from Ratchet's past who was responsible for some of his past trauma, his film incarnation is the one who ultimately executes Ratchet, and his IDW incarnation leads a group of mercenaries hired to track down Ratchet and the crew of the Lost Light.

Depending on continuity, sometimes his role is assumed by Hot Shot[[note]]who was originally supposed to be Bumblebee but changed due to trademark issues)[[/note]], other times they're separate characters.

[[folder:Jazz]]
-->''"Have your own style of doing things or have none at all."''

Optimus' first lieutenant and an aficionado of Earth culture, which is likely the reason for his unusual speech patterns among the Autobots. His alt mode is a white, red and blue CoolCar, emphasis on the ''Cool''.

* ThemeNaming: Aside from leader Grimlock, the Dinobots have short, one-word names that start with "S". The core four are Slag/Slug, Snarl, Sludge, and Swoop, and auxiliary members include Slash, Scorn, Strafe, and Skar/Scarr. Even the one time Dinobots were [[WesternAnimation/TransformersRobotsInDisguise2015 depicted as an entire sub-species of Cybertronians]], the few shown followed this convention (Steelwall[[note]]The show's very own Grimlock who renamed himself[[/note]], Scowl). The lone exceptions are Paddles, a ''very'' obscure G1 character from an anthology book, and Grimmaster, another obscure character from the Japanese G1 continuity better known as the once-Decepticon Kakuryu of the Dinoforce.

* GoodCounterpart: As the resident flying Autobot, he is often the analogue to Starscream and the Seekers. Given his iconic background being that of a Decepticon deserter, he is sometimes noted to be a former Seeker himself.
* HeelFaceTurn: He tends to start out as a Decepticon, but then changes sides when he realizes his ideals align with them more. Even on occasions where he doesn't start out on the Deceptions, Jetfire's backstory tends to somehow personally connect him to the enemy faction.

* PoweredArmor: He sometimes has access to this, which often comes with a [[OneWayVisor visored]] helmet and a pair of {{Shoulder Cannon}}s. Said armor usually makes him more closely resemble the original ''[[Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross Macross]]'' toy he was based off.

* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Slipstream is usually the only girl among the Seekers.

* ShapeshifterBaggage: In the original G1 cartoon, Motormaster was an ''awful'' case of this. He didn't transform into a semi-trailer truck, he transformed into the truck and its ''entire trailer''. Despite this obvious additional bulk in his alt mode, in robot mode Motormaster was one of the bigger Transformers but on-par with Optimus and Megatron. Then when he combined with the other Stunticons into Menasor, the other Stunticons ([[OffModel usually]]) didn't form his arms and legs like most other Combiners, his limbs were indistinct grey rectangular prisms that the Stunticons attached onto. The result is that Motormaster suddenly got way bigger when he combined into Menasor, and it seemed like he didn't even need the other Stunticons to do it because they were just armoring for arms and legs that came out of nowhere. Later toys usually just make Motormaster the semi-trailer truck without the trailer and have the Stunticons form the full limbs of Menasor like other Combiners; occasionally they split the difference and have the trailer be a separate piece, possibly with limb pieces, that the team integrates with to form Menasor.

* PaletteSwap:

* CoolCar: His typical alt mode is a sports car of some kind.

* SatanicArchetype: He's a child of Primus, Cybertron's equivalent to God, who was cast out for his evil and became a corrupted villain WreathedInFlames.

* GoodIsNotSoft: Ironhide is one of the most enthusiastic of all Autobots when it comes to getting into a fight. But he's still firmly heroic.

A female Autobot commander, Elita One is a close ally to Optimus Prime and a prominent leader in the fight against the Decepticons. She usually transforms into a Cybertronian car.

* DistaffCounterpart: Being a courageous, kind-hearted Autobot in a position of authority, she's essentially a female equivalent to Optimus Prime. Some iterations move away from this aspect (the [[ComicBook/TheTransformersIDW first]] IDW version of her is notoriously villainous, while other incarnations are just standard Autobot warriors).

%%* NobleDemon

* {{Samurai}}: His manners, color scheme and fighting style is highly reminiscent of a samurai, thanks to training with the Circle of Light.

* NonIndicativeName: Despite being named Bludgeon, his preferred weapon is usually a katana (a cutting weapon) rather than any sort of crushing weapon. The closest he's had to a crushing weapon was a kanabo club in his ''[[WebAnimation/TheTransformersPowerOfThePrimes Power of the Primes]]'' toy.
* {{Samurai}}

* DoubleReverseQuadrupleAgent

* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: Will change allegiance from Autobot to Decepticon to everything in between, but ultimately serves one master: Unicron.

-->''"[[WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated I'm not that good with names and faces, but I never forget a trophy.]]"''

%%* ArchEnemy: To Ratchet.

* DependingOnTheWriter: Depending on which iteration you're looking at, Scorponok can go from an animalistic minion to a hulking brute to an EvilOverlord on par with Megatron himself.

* ArchEnemy: To Metroplex. Since Metroplex is the Titan the Autobots have easiest access to in most incarnations, whenever the Decepticons bring in Trypticon, the Autobots summon Metroplex to even the odds.

* NotZilla: Is often likened to Godzilla in his design.

* TheAce: Star Saber oftentimes has a reputation of being one of the Autobots' best soldiers, given his superior combat capabilities and long combat record.

* OneManArmy: His unparalleled martial prowess allows him to take on entire armies of Decepticons at once.

-->''"Respect your elders."''

* TransformingMecha: Sometimes, Megatron possesses the ability to transform into more than one alt mode. His ''[[Anime/TransformersRobotsInDisguise RID 2001]]'' iteration has ''ten'' modes (including robot mode), the most of any Transformer ever.

-->''"[[Anime/TransformersRobotsInDisguise Ruination awaken!]]"''

* DependingOnTheWriter: The individual Combaticons vary in names, appearance, and personality, but they're usually a team of five

[[folder:The Stunticons]]
-->''"Welcome to the end of the road! Courtesy of Menasor!"''

Another Decepticon Combiner team built to combat the Autobots' rule of the road. They transform into various types of high-end civilian cars, save for their leader Motormaster, who turns into a semi-trailer truck. They combine into the towering, powerful, and very angry Menasor. Their exact members vary in different incarnations, and occasionally Menasor has been a separate character and not a Combiner, but the basic line-up is as follows:
* Motormaster (semi-trailer truck)
* Drag Strip (race car)
* Dead End (Porsche)
* Breakdown (Lamborghini)
* Wildrider (Ferrari)

* TheBerserker: Menasor is usually extremely angry, violent, and mentally unstable.
* EvilCounterpart: Intentionally intended to be civilian cars to rival the Autobots, since the Decepticons are usually aircraft and military vehicles.
* ShapeshifterBaggage: In the original G1 cartoon, Motormaster was an ''awful'' case of this. He didn't transform into a semi-trailer truck, he transformed into the truck and its ''entire trailer''. Despite this obvious additional bulk in his alt mode, in robot mode Motormaster was one of the bigger Transformers but on-par with Optimus and Megatron. Then when he combined with the other Stunticons into Menasor, the other Stunticons ([[OffModel usually]]) didn't form his arms and legs like most other Combiners, his limbs were indistinct grey rectangular prisms that the Stunticons attached onto. The result is that Motormaster suddenly got way bigger when he combined into Menasor, and it seemed like he didn't even need the other Stunticons to do it because they were just armoring for arms and legs that came out of nowhere. Later toys usually just make Motormaster the semi-trailer truck without the trailer and have the Stunticons form the full limbs of Menasor like other Combiners; occasionally they split the difference and have the trailer be a separate piece, possibly with limb pieces, that the team integrates with to form Menasor.
* TheSixthRanger: The G1 Motormaster toy came with a mini roller car that attached to his chest in Menasor form to make a chestplate. Some later media have since given the Stunticons a sixth team member with their own name and personality that fills the same role as the roller car in their combined mode.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Cyclonus]]
-->''"[[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers Come out and die like a warrior! How dare you disgrace your ancestors by cowering like a pocket computer!]]"''

Cyclonus is a high-ranking Decepticon, usually being the right hand to the current Decepticon leader. His alt mode is usually some sort of spacecraft, though he sometimes turns into a helicopter.
----

[[folder:Bludgeon]]
-->''"[[ComicBook/TheTransformersMarvel To a master of Metallikato, your clumsy attack is almost slow motion.]]"''

A Decepticon who resembles a giant skeletal samurai, Bludgeon is a monstrous warrior adept at the Cybertronian martial art of Metallikato. His alt mode is always a tank.

[[folder:Scourge]]
-->''"But remember, we belong to [Unicron]."''

A high-ranked Decepticon, Scourge is usually a subordinate to Galvatron. He sometimes leads a group of his own fighters (or Sweeps), and is occasionally an EvilKnockoff of Optimus Prime.

* TheBrute: He's typically defined as a brutish Decepticon who's good at taking orders and not much else.
* CyberneticMythicalBeast: He sometimes turns into a robotic dragon.
* EvilKnockoff: In the ''[[Anime/TransformersRobotsInDisguise Robots in Disguise]]'' anime, he's an evil clone of Optimus.
* OutOfFocus: He was made as part of a trio with Galvatron and Cyclonus, but he tends to get less attention in media than both of them.
* YouDontLookLikeYou: His design changes a lot, depending on the version of him. He's blue with a BeardOfEvil in the original G1 cartoon, a dark clone of Optimus in ''Robots in Disguise'', a colorful cybernetic dragon in ''Cybertron'', and a grim, gray Terrorcon in ''Film/TransformersRiseOfTheBeasts''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Fallen]]
-->''"[[ComicBook/TransformersGenerationOne I offer FORBIDDEN fruit, timelost secrets, power...BEYOND MEASURE!]]"''

One of the Thirteen Primes, Megatronus Prime betrayed his fellow Primes and was cast out, in the process earning the moniker of the Fallen. In spite of his defeat and exile, his actions would lead to him being seen as the first Decepticon and thus the progenitor of the faction of the whole, and it is from his name that Megatron would take his name from. And sometimes, he is still around to the present, working to bring about his apocalyptic goals.
----

* BladeBelowTheShoulder: His iconic weapon is a retractable wrist-mounted blade.

* NiceGuy: As Hideaki Yoke [[MemeticMutation famously]] put it, he's a sweet boy. He usually goes out of his way to help anyone who isn't a Decepticon.

* TheSpeechless: His portrayal in the live-action films depicts him as having been rendered mute following the loss of his vocal components, which forces him to communicate in sound bytes if not at all. This has carried over into several subsequent iterations of the character, most notably in the ''Aligned'' continuity and ''Cyberverse''.

* CoolCar: His alt mode is usually a white car.

* CoolPlane: He turns into some sort of jet plane, usually a fighter plane though sometimes a spy plane or cargo plane.

* PoweredArmor: He's often depicted as a much smaller transformer that wears the Magnus armor to enhance his powers for combat. In some versions, [[spoiler:it turns out he is a LegacyCharacter with multiple smaller bots having worn the armor throughout ages]].

%%* OneManArmy

* SuperRobot: While the franchise are usually closer to this genre than the RealRobotGenre, he perhaps fits this trope even more than the average Transformer, being known to display fantastical capabilities and tropes heavily associated with the genre.

* HeelFaceTurn: Even more so than Jetfire, Drift is almost always a defector from the Decepticons.

-->''"In '''my''' day, the '''good''' knew their responsibility...and the '''weak''' knew their place."''

* DumbDinos: They're often depicted as this, as a consequence of their beast modes.

* PoweredArmor: He sometimes has access to this, which often comes a [[OneWayVisor visored]] helmet and a pair {{Shoulder Cannon}}s. Said armor usually makes him more closely resemble the original [[Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross Macross]] toy he was based off.

* WritingAroundTrademarks: According to Hasbro's production bible for the G1 cartoon, Jetfire was renamed Skyfire and writers were discouraged from using the character unless they had to. While never directly confirmed, this is because of the origins behind his original Japanese toy. In the franchise's early days, Hasbro tended to just browse Japanese toy fairs and pick transforming robot toys they liked to market in the US under the ''Transformers'' brand; the ''Diaclone'' and ''Microman'' toys that formed the bulk of ''Transformers'' were manufactured by Takara, but Jetfire's toy was a ''[[Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross Macross]]'' VF-1S Super Valkyrie manufactured by Takatoku Toys, i.e., a competitor company to Takara. While the exact details aren't given beyond "due to legal reasons", this is why the character was renamed and his appearance in the cartoon only vaguely resembled the toy. As of a 2013 lawsuit from Harmony Gold (current owners of ''{{Anime/Robotech}}'' and thus the rights to ''[[Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross Macross]]'' outside of Japan) that was settled out of court, Hasbro has somehow gotten over these legal hurdles, resulting in Jetfire merchandise that more closely resembles his Super Valkyrie toy.

-->''"[[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers You're wrong, Menasor! For you I have nothing else!]]"''

-->''"Undisciplined thinking can make even the simplest task impossible."''

-->''"Talent and looks; I got it all!"''

The quintessential female Autobot and perhaps the most iconic female Transformer. Her alt mode is either a Cybertronian hover car or a motorcycle.

* ArchEnemy: Metroplex to Trypticon, Fortress Maximus to Scorponok. They are among the recurring Titans on either side, so they tend to end up being depicted fighting each other a lot.

* ForgottenSuperweapon: As Titans, they usually are long-dormant and hidden, forcing the Autobots to discover them as well as how to activate them. When the Autobots succeed, it means they have attained a powerful new asset that can tip the scales of the war in their favor.

* BreakoutVillain: Whether or not it's a good thing may depend on whether or not the person is old enough to remember the Marvel and Dreamwave comics, but for better or worse, Sentinel Prime became a much more prominent and popular character as a villain than he ever was as Optimus's upstanding and tragically slain forerunner. He's an important HateSink in ''Animated'' (in season 4, he would have gone on to be a major antagonist) and a BigBad in the 2005 IDW comics and the films.

* TheChosenOne: Optimus possess the Matrix of Leadership, designating him as leader of the Autobots and possibly some other destiny, depending on the incarnation.

* SuperMode: Occurs in various instances throughout the franchise. Sometimes he combines with his trailer while other times he combines with another Autobot (Godbomber/Apex Bomber, Ultra Magnus, Jetfire, Overload, Wing Saber, Omega Supreme, Leobreaker).

* TheStoic: Later versions of him usually have him with a straight, cold face and an equally quiet personality.

* CoolCar: Their alt mode, usually a Lamborghini.

* DatingCatwoman: She usually has a romantic connection to a member of the Autobots or Autobot equivalent faction (in ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'', it was part of why she had a HeelFaceTurn and defected to the Maximals).
* FemBot: She's a prominent female Cybertronian and is usually on the villains' side.

%%* CoolCar: He turns into a police car.

%%* FaceHeelTurn: Sometimes, he's a defector from the Autobots.

* TheLancer: As Optimus' lieutenant, Jazz is second-in-command of the Autobots, and his laidback and cool demeanor sharply constrasts Optimus' stern professionalism.

* NiceGuy: No matter the iteration, he's usually one of the most laid-back and good-natured Autobots.

* TheSmartGuy

* CompositeCharacters: While they are often their own characters, there has been a couple times where they were condensed into being literal clones of Starscream in some shape or form.

* HiveMind

* DatingCatwoman: She usually has a relationship with one of the good guys. Willing or otherwise.
* FemBot: Another female Cybertronian who's a villain.
%%* FemmeFatale:

* SpidersAreScary: Her robot mode motif and most of the time her alt mode.

* EvilSoundsRaspy: He is usally voiced in this manner, as provided by the likes of Chris Latta, Creator/TomKenny, and Creator/SteveBlum.

* EnemyMine: He often teams up with Optimus at least once to take down a shared threat to them both.

Sometimes he has a sibling, Sunstreaker, who turns into a yellow Lamborghini.

* ActionGirl: No matter the incarnation, she's always a significant female soldier and is frequently an active combatant.

* KnightTemplar: More recent iterations of this character exhibit this kind of behavior.

* EnemyMine: He usually teams up with Optimus at least once to take down a shared threat to them both.

* OnlySaneMan: How much so is a case of DependingOnTheWriter, but Soundwave is ''much'' more sane than Megatron, Starscream or Shockwave. On a different level, at times you'd think the decepticon faction would fall into barbarism without him.